Top Stories
Stories in Unbalanced that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Should Have Watched It With My Dad
When I was incredibly young, I never understood why fathers watch sports. I have seen them in movies and on television shows. There is usually a father who is into sports. Of course, my dad (God bless his soul) had always been a huge fan of sports – especially football, boxing, and basketball. I am sure he watched other sports on television as well, but those were the three main sports I had always caught him watching.
Leona ValentinePublished 3 days ago in Unbalanced
A Tale of Two Bodies
It’s always the same experience. Rightly so, it’s ritual – it’s intentioned to be that way. Always the same silence that toes the line of uncomfortable and meditative. My hands are folded in front of me like in prayer and my mind is similarly inwardly focused. Coaches hang around, silent, sometimes occasionally muttering words of advice and reminders of the absolute necessities for enduring the challenges to come. The man in front of me is the only one whose words I regularly understand. He’s in a similar state to my own – rousing himself from his stupor only to impart words of wisdom and return to his task.
Noaria07Published 9 days ago in UnbalancedTHE BALLAD BETWEEN A FAN AND A FANTAGONIST
College football season (remember THOSE? We had them, WITH fans in the seats in the yesteryear of pre-2020) is almost here, Sports Fans.
Kent BrindleyPublished 25 days ago in UnbalancedBen Simmons Jump Shot
Fixing Ben Simmons jump shot isn't a simple task. Trust me, shooting more is not the answer. We're not even factoring in the external performance elements such as being in a real game, against live competition, with fatigue, and in front of fans all around the world. Today, we'll learn the best practices to fix techniques and why so many people get it wrong.
Blake A SwanPublished about a month ago in Unbalanced
Lay Off Simone Biles
As always with these things, it’s hard to know where to begin. Just days ago US Olympian Simone Biles — arguably one of the finest if not the finest competitive gymnast ever to stand atop a medal podium — pulled out of her event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, already the most troubled and arguably most pointless Olympics in the history of the Olympic movement. Biles cited a growing need to focus on her mental health, after early scores in her qualifying round were not what she, or the US Olympic Committee or her fans, expected.
Hamish AlexanderPublished 2 months ago in Unbalanced
Why I Absolutely Enjoy the Canadian Football League
I had known about the Canadian Football League for about 10-15 years at least; the first time I learned about that particular league was during Doug Flutie's time with the Buffalo Bills, as his past with the CFL had been told many times. I remember peeping in at a CFL game back in 2012, and afterwards, I promised myself that beginning with the following year, I would start watching those games, because the way Canada plays football is just amazing.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 3 months ago in UnbalancedAn Open Letter to the Fencing Club Poor Sport
Dear Sir, Allow me to make my role clear to you, sir. I am your opponent. That means – I oppose you. It is not my job to stand there like a crash test dummy and uncomplainingly absorb all your too-hard whip attacks. If I know that you like to use too-hard whip attacks, the evidence of which I am now wearing on my arm and back in the form of long purple bruises, I am going to keep using point in line to keep you at a distance with the point of my sabre, because I don’t like absorbing too-hard whip attacks. Please know that your heavy-handed, flailing-n00b’s style has all the finesse of a compound fracture, and seeing as how I don’t like pain, I will go to extensive lengths to avoid it. Please also be aware that fencing is a sport, not an excuse for you to beat the snot out of people with a three-foot metal whip, and that anger management counseling resources are available for people like you.
Deborah MoranPublished 5 months ago in Unbalanced
We Want WNBA
Here is a look at five players that are due to have very interesting seasons in the WNBA for the 2021 season. Welcome to our newest series entitled "We Want WNBA."
Winners OnlyPublished 5 months ago in Unbalanced
Is It Time to Change Youth Football?
Over the last half-century, the popularity of American football has exploded. These days, the sport appears to have replaced baseball as the country’s favorite pastime.
Phil RossiPublished 5 months ago in Unbalanced
What Moneyball Taught Me: 7 Lessons from 7 Quotes
Want to know when my next personal essay is going to drop? Want to get weekly, curated recommendations? Want exclusive short fiction? Want to do other cool things like writing exercises and just have fun?
Andrew Martin DodsonPublished 5 months ago in Unbalanced
A Woman in Baseball
Living in a baseball town like St. Louis, people learn a lot about baseball. The New York Yankees have won the most World Series Championships. Marc McGwire hit 583 home runs in his career and had over 1,400 RBIs (runs batted in). Ozzie Smith was a 15 time All Star. Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs in his career but also led the league in strike outs 5 times. Everybody knows this.
Sharon KoehlerPublished 6 months ago in Unbalanced
Helmets Don't Save Lives
The conversation on concussion prevention within American football cannot be had without discussing why. The right question to ask is not why concussions occur but why it’s important to limit and prevent them. Within the last decade, a multitude of former NFL players who have been diagnosed with a brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) have taken their own lives. This is not a coincidence but a serious reality faced by real people. Does this mean that the long-term effects of repeated concussions can lead to severe brain changes? Evidently, and if so, what exactly are those changes and just how damaging can the effects be?
Joy JohanePublished 6 months ago in Unbalanced
